


To the Beat of my Heart

by EmeraldEyes8917



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Cardiophilia, Cuddling, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Heartbeat Kink, Philia - Freeform, Romance, Sexual Content, Stething, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-06 23:19:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15896178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldEyes8917/pseuds/EmeraldEyes8917
Summary: This is a response to an anon prompt on Tumblr, requesting that the narrator reveals to Dan that they are a cardiophile.What follows is a gentle exploration of what this means to open up about the secret part of oneself, to be seen and to be truly loved.This was in fact a lovely one to write that came quite naturally, and its simplicity was something that was lovely to describe as well.  We all have had secrets that we have been reluctant to share for fear of rejection, but I believe that anyone who cannot accept a person for who they are, then those people have no capacity for love.If any readers ever want to send me prompts, which are love, please feel free to leave a comment below these prompt fill works or send me an ask via Tumblr: https://emerald-eyes-8917.tumblr.com/askAs always, thank you for reading.





	1. Chapter 1

It had never been easy for her to open up. Maybe it was a fear of rejection, of shame, of being left alone that had tormented her until it became an incessant droning at the back of her mind, a present reminder that she had a desire that was not quite typical.

But somehow it felt different this time.

Dan Avidan was different, somehow.

Since they had become close, progressing at a sure and steady pace from friends to romantic lovers, when she had become more comfortable about sharing her past with him, her own view of herself had changed for the better, maybe for good.

He in turn would tell her stories of growing up, his family, his dreams and aspirations for the future, that would never fail to brighten her days and make the nights less dark.

Yet that secret part of herself was kept hidden away with the ever present dread that she would drive him away. It had happened before with an ex-partner after she had told them about it who had regarded her with a kind of expression reserved for the truly abnormal beings on Earth.

How could she even begin to tell Dan that she wanted him to listen to her heart beating in her chest, to know that he was making it race and pump lifeblood through her system?

It was not even about playing doctor specifically, but somehow, the very first time that a stethoscope had been pressed to her chest during a routine checkup when she was just an adolescent, the feeling of the cool metal against her skin so the doctor could listen to her heartbeat, had awakened something in her that she longed to have replicated outside of an examination room in a hospital clinic.

It had taken all her resolve, and a measure of liquid courage in the form of a glass and a half of wine, to convince herself to brooch the subject with him as soon as he came home after recording with Brian for the best part of the entire day.

He had given her a bemused look of confusion as she led him to the sofa, holding his hands like a lifeline.

“Danny… I’d like to tell you something, that’s been on my mind for a while now.”

“Sure, baby. Is everything alright?”

“Yes. Yes, everything’s fine, more than fine, in fact. I just… we’ve been together a while, and I feel that there is something you need to know. About me.”

Dan nods, not letting go of her hands.

“So… this thing about me, it’s something I’ve felt since I was about eleven, and it hasn’t left me. It’s not something that I like to talk about because the last time that I even said something about it, it ended badly.”

“Whatever it is… I want to listen. We don’t need to keep secrets between us, we trust each other, don’t we?”

All she can do is nod, knowing that it was now or never before she made an excuse and ran away to hide, like she always did when looking deep inside herself.

“Just promise me that you won’t think I’m strange?”

“Baby, we are all strange. I dress in blue spandex and sing songs about dicks and video game characters in adult situations. You are definitely not alone in being strange.”

His smile is so warm, so caring, that it prompts her to finally reach her point, “Okay… I’m not sure how else it say it, but give it a name. I’ve looked it up and I think this definition is the best one about what I… what I fantasise about. I think I’m a cardiophile.”

Dan blinks several times, “A what?”

“A cardiophile.”

Dan mouths the word under his breath, “So… something to do with the heart?”

“Yes.”

“But… how can… ? What does it mean? Like, you want to listen to peoples’ hearts beating or is it to do with your own heart? Help me out, I really want to understand." 

He does not move away from the sofa or give her a funny look, so she takes this as encouragement to continue.

Now that she is actually speaking about this, her cheeks begin to warm up, "It means… well, for me, specifically… that I have a very strong reaction to having my heart listening to with a stethoscope. That it makes my heart beat that bit faster, and…”

She huffs a sigh, “I can’t explain it very well. All I know is that it is something that I think about a great deal, that if ever I wanted to be intimate with someone, to be close with someone, that I would like them to do that to me.”

Dan appears to be quite thoughtful, looking down at their hands and rubbing his thumbs gently over her knuckles, “I see.”

“I hope I haven’t weirded you out.”

“No, no, no, not at all. It just… it’s just surprising that there is such a thing, and that you picture it and think about it like that.”

She dips her head, “Sometimes I just feel separate and apart from everyone else with conventional desires, that can actually be talked about. It’s stupid, really…”

Dan takes hold of her chin, firmly but carefully tilting her head back up so their eyes meet, “It’s not stupid, at all. Don’t say that about yourself. It’s what you feel, it’s valid, and I see you. You are not hurting anyone, you are being you, do you understand?”

Her lower lips trembles as her eyes pool with sudden tears, overcome by his caring acceptance when she had been shunned so cruelly, “Yes, Dan…”

“Oh, baby, come here… come here…”

Dan draws her into a soft hug, leaning back against the sofa, taking her with him and holding her close to his chest, “Thank you for telling me this. You don’t have to hide who you are from me. I want to know you, and that means all of you, okay?”

All she can manage is a nod, burying her face in his chest, letting out a quiet sob of relief that he had not abandoned her, that she had not lost him.

After a few minutes of him stroking her hair and murmuring her name quietly as her breathing evened out, he mumbles, “So… I don’t have a stethoscope right now, and I’m sure I could get one…”

“Mmhmm?” Her bloodstream begins to course with pulsating warmth at the possibility of Dan even talking about wanting to fulfill this vision of hers.

“But can I still listen to your heart? At least, in a way that is something kind of what you like?”

Dan tips his head down to look into her eyes with an expression that is so open and loving, “Let me try and understand, and make you happy, please? Will you let me try?”

“Yes…”

Her whisper of agreement is almost silenced as he presses his lips to hers in a soft, slow kiss.

“Let’s go to the bedroom, where you’ll be more comfortable.”

Not being able to formulate so many words at this point in time, she nods as he takes her hands again, leading her to the bedroom where he draws the curtains, switches on the light and invites her to lay up on the pillows after clumsily arranging them behind her back and her head, clearly wanting to do his best to create the right mood.

All she can do is lay there in watchful silence as he meets her eyes again, leaning down to kiss her forehead and her nose, whispering, “I’ll just take your shirt off, okay?”

“Okay.”

They had been intimate before, and his seeing her without a shirt was nothing new, but now that she was willing to try and fulfill this yearning fantasy of hers made it all the more intense.

Dan’s cheeks were flushed and his breathing that bit deeper as he reaches behind her back to unfasten her bra and now she cannot help but shiver.

Dan whispers in her ear, “Sssshh, I have you, baby. Don’t worry, it’s just you and me. I’m right here with you… let me try to make you happy.”

“You do make me happy. You do, Danny…”

Pressing a kiss to his shoulder, she feels him nuzzle into the side of her neck, sliding a knee between her thighs and covering her completely.

“Here… let me lay my head down…”

He shifts until his head is resting on the left side of her chest, right over her heart and she cannot help but arch her spine with a shudder of pleasure. 

His soft curls tickle her skin and his breath gusts over the curve of her breast, his arms holding her securely.

“I can… I can hear it beating. Wow, it sounds… it sounds so beautiful. I never thought about the sound before. It’s really… it’s really soothing, actually… I can really hear it right now.”

She can barely take in his words, so overcome is she with waves of sensation, the closest she had ever come to fulfilling this philia of hers.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are.”

A gentle pause.

“Is this okay? Is this like what you want?”

She swallows thickly, never having been more in love with this man than she was right now, “It’s more than okay. The fact that you even want to do this with me means the world.”

Dan nuzzles his face in between her breasts, pressing soft kisses to her skin, the scrape of his stubble a pleasing contract to the warmth of his mouth.

“I meant it that I would get a stethoscope for us next time. We can explore this together, nice and slow, and you can tell me exactly what you want and I can do this right by you.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“No question, baby. I want to make you happy, that’s what I will do.”

When he lifts his head to gaze at her with a lopsided, charming smile, she winds her fingers around the thick strands of his hair, pulling him down into a passionate kiss as Dan responds with equal fervour, and never before had she felt so safe, so accepted for who she was.

“Love me… please?”

Dan lays his hand over her chest, right over her thumping heart that was coursing with new life’s blood, “With each beat of my heart… you know I will.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After opening up to Dan about being a cardiophile, and receiving an extremely understanding reaction, wanting to unwind after a hectic week at work, she comes to Dan's arms, unknowing that he had a special surprise planned for her.

It had been a hectic week, in both the best and worst ways, but she was grateful for all the opportunities for career development that it gave her. At least that was how she justified it after a third cup of coffee on the final day, when she was close to reaching the end of her rope.

Still, with the weekend just around the corner, she wanted to spend it with the man who held that special place in her figurative heart, and made her pulse skip a beat.

Dan had been rather quiet all week on the text message front, but that was not unusual given the amount of time he spent recording Game Grumps and working on his music.

Just as she was leaving work on Friday evening, her phone beeps with an incoming message, and she sees with mounting delight that it is Danny.

'Hey sweetheart. Crazy week, sorry for the radio silence. I really want to see you and catch up, you want to come over? Cant wait to give you so many kisses because I missed you. xoxoxo'

Her smile is tremulous and she puts a hand on her chest, overcome at even the thought of him wanting to see her.

She texts back, 'Hey you, of course I'd love to come over. Just leaving work, I can be there in half an hour? I missed you too. xxxx'

Walking to her car, just as she takes off the security alarm, she reads Dans reply, 'Awesome, I can't wait to see you. See you soon. xoxoxoxo'

She lets out a happy sigh, getting in and driving off in the direction of his apartment.

 

Knocking on the door, she steps back and waits, brushing down the front of her work outfit and tucking her hair behind her ears. She had managed to swipe on some chapstick before coming into the complex, but most of her makeup had evaporated after the several hours in work, so she hoped that her appearance didn't appear too tired.

The door opens to reveal Dan, and instantly, she sees his eyes light up as he murmurs her name.

"Hi."

"Hey."

Overcome with a sudden impulse of affection, she takes two steps forward and hugs him quite tight around his waist, making him rock back slightly with a chuckle.

"Someone's in a hugging mood."

She mumbles against his chest, "I missed you, so I'm entitled to hugs."

"You'll hear no argument from me, baby."

He reaches above her to push the door shut behind her, before pressing a kiss into her hair.

"How was work?"

"Busy, demanding, and far too stressful, but thankfully, nothing disastrous happened and I survived it. How about you?"

"It was good. Recorded some episodes, took some weird pictures for Instagram, planned the livestream schedule for the next few weeks, as well as the usual Grump stuff. But enough talk about me, let's get you comfortable."

Loathe as she was to stop hugging him, the pleasant thumping of his heart in his chest giving her great pause, she allows him to lead her to the sofa.

"Are you hungry? I have some sushi in the fridge that Suzy recommended I try."

"That sounds lovely, I am a bit hungry."

"Cool, I'll get it for you. You are going to relax and let me take care of you. That sound good?"

She smiles, her eyes sparkling, "That sounds amazing."

He returns a few minutes later with a medium platter of sushi and she tucks in, not realising just how hungry she was. Dan helps himself only to one while she eats, and out of the corner of her eye, she notices that he has been darting his eyes around the room and rubbing the back of his neck, which was something he usually did when he was nervous.

She dabs her lips with a napkin after finishing, setting her cutlery down, completely full, before she decides to ask him outright, "Dan? Is everything alright?"

"What? Oh, everything's fine. I just..."

He sighs, "I'm an idiot when it comes to this sort of thing, I never know what to do beforehand."

She tilts her head to one side, extremely confused.

"Okay... I'm just... okay. So I had this thing planned out, like in my head, that it would be all a huge buildup, but now I don't know anymore, so I think I'll just come right out and say it."

Now she is even more confused, watching him as he takes a breath and meets her eyes again, "I have a surprise for you. I was going to wait until a little later to spring it on you, but I think the moment is right and I want to make it special for you."

"A surprise? For me? Dan... I don't know what to say." She is extremely touched and he appears to be calmed and encouraged by this.

"I'll just go and get it, it's just in my room. But before I do, could you close your eyes, please?"

She raises an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yes, really. Please, just indulge your boyfriend today."

With a huffed sigh, she closes her eyes, and even covers them with her palms to ensure that she would not peek.

She feels the couch cushions shift up as Dan stands, and hears his footsteps retreating across the apartment. She strains to listen, her mind racing at all the possibilties that the surprise could be, but she honestly had no idea what it could be.

Which would be the main point of a surprise, she notes with chagrin.

Dan's footsteps return and he sits back down beside her, "Still no peeking?"

"None. I am taking this seriously."

"Good. Okay, I want you to put out your hands with your palms facing the ceiling, but don't open your eyes."

She does as he asks, feeling quite silly and curious all at once.

After a moment, the solid weight of a square object is placed in her eyes, and Dan gently instructs her to open her eyes.

She blinks several times, looking down at the slim black box in her hands, done up with a blue ribbon.

As flattered as she was that he would even buy something for her, she asks the obvious question, "What is this?"

"Go on and open it to find out."

Now there was no mistaking Dan's tensed posture, radiating nervous energy, much like a coiled spring.

Deciding to indulge him that bit more, she undoes the ribbon, and lifts the lid of the box to reveal what was nestled inside among the white gift wrap paper.

At first, it does not register in her brain what it was, but as she pushes aside the paper aside, having not expected something metallic or even like an instrument, her fingers brushing against a piece of tubing and a very familiar looking round disc, her stomach drops and her entire bloodstream courses with pulsing warmth.

It was a stethoscope.

Clutching the box so tight in case she dropped it, she raises her head to look at Dan, who is giving her the softest, sweetest smile she could ever have envisioned.

"Surprise."

After several moments of opening and closing her mouth, unable to say a single word, she draws enough breath to say, "Danny... I... I don't know what to say... this is... my goodness, thank you."

He nods several times, "You're welcome. So... do you know why I am giving this to you?"

She shakes her head, her thought processes having slowed down to a crawl.

"Because I want to make good on my promise from before, when you told me about your cardiophile experiences and what you liked and wanted. I meant what I said, that I wanted to try and make you happy, and to do this for you. I want us to explore this together, and I want to be able to satisfy you in the way you deserve. I want to try... actually, I want to do this with you, not just try. Would you like to do that with me?"

Voice choked with tears of joy, she manages to reply, "Yes... yes. Oh my God, I had no idea you would do this, that you'd want to do this with me. I mean, I know it was really nice last time, but I thought you might have changed your mind..."

Dan sits closer, raising his hands to lightly cup her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs, "You're my girl. Of course I want to make you happy. I want to do this with you..."

She takes hold of his wrists, letting out a tearful laugh, "You have no idea what this means to me, that you want to."

Dan smiles, kisses her nose and her lips, chuckling against her mouth, "Shall we?"

She nods, letting him take control for she was completely overwhelmed both by the surprise and the prospect of them exploring this together, allowing him to take the box from her, before extending his hand and she takes it, squeezing it with the strength she had.

As they walk to the bedroom, she is suddenly overcome by nerves and walks quite slowly. Dan looks back over his shoulder, noticing her pace, leaning down to kiss her forehead and give her a gentle hug in reassurance, whispering her name.

"I'm fine, just a bit nervous."

Her heart was literally jumping, and her stomach was fluttering so much, she was amazed that she was still able to stand.

"It's okay. Nice and slow, alright? We are here together, this is for us and only us."

That thought gives her comfort as they come through the door and he closes it behind them.

"Take a seat, get comfortable."

She obeys, sitting on the edge of the bed as he draws the curtains and turns on the bedside lamp, returning to her after setting the box with the stethoscope down beside her.

Kneeling in front of her, he asks gently, "You don't mind if I help you undress? You've had such a busy day."

"No, not at all, that would be really nice."

Dan gives her a bashful look as he unzips her boots and slides them off her feet, giving her tired soles a quick rub before reaching up to help her out of her skirt, slightly fumbling with the zipper until they were both giggling.

The apology is on the tip of her tongue, but when Dan runs his hands down her legs as he rolls down her tights, all she does is sigh contentedly.

Dan moves closer, kneeling between her legs, starting to unbutton her blouse, starting from the lowest button and working his way up. Now there is no mistaking her shivers as his fingers brush against her belly, opening her blouse more and more until he slides it from her shoulders, tugging it down her arms until she is free of the sleeves, letting it fall to one side as he stares up at her in pure adoration.

"You are so beautiful..."

Blushing, she pushes back some of the more fluffy curls back from his forehead so she can look into his eyes, stroking her hand down his cheek even as he leans up towards her for a kiss, reaching behind her back to unfasten her bra, sliding the straps down her arms, and her shuddering intensifies as he hugs her close.

"Oh, baby... you're shaking, are you okay?"

"I'm fine... you just give me shivers, the best kind and I just love you so much."

Dan makes a low sound close to her ear as he nuzzles her neck, "I love you, too. So much. You want to lie up on the pillows?"

She makes her way up the bed, easing down onto her back, bending one knee up and watching him as he pulls his own t-shirt up over his head and unbuckles his belt, pulling off his jeans and kneeling up on the bed, not looking away as he opens the box and takes out the stethoscope.

The thought to cover her chest does not even cross her mind, as she had never felt more desired in her entire life, pulse thundering in her ears and she fights to control her breathing, bloodstream coursing with warmth at the realisation that this was actually happening.

Dan looks down at the instrument in his hands, and he lets out a chuckle, looking quite embarassed, "Okay... this is the part that I might royally mess up, and I want this to be special for you."

Her heart gives a pleasant tug in her chest as she reaches out towards him, "Danny... you've already made it so special by wanting to do this with me. There's no right or wrong, because I haven't done it before either, but I want to with you. Please, please don't worry."

At this encouragement, he gives a single nod, looping the stethoscope around his neck, crawling up the bed towards her, settling in beside her, reaching down to cup her cheek and give her a soft kiss, murmuring against her lips, "How's your heart feeling, baby?"

"It's... it's beating really fast right now..."

He smiles gently, "I know that you have the kindest, biggest, most beautiful heart in the world, and I loved hearing it that first time, but I don't think I heard it clearly enough. So... this will really help us."

He takes the stethoscope and places the eartubes in his ears, holding the round chestpiece in his hand, eyes widening, "Oh God... this is so cold!"

She lets out a loud giggle, covering her mouth and they share a bemused look together.

"Of course it's cold, it's metal. Okay, I'm just going to warm it up between my hands..."

She watches as he holds the chestpiece and rubs the diaphragm between his palms, focusing on that circular motion.

She interjects gently, "It's okay if it's a little bit cold. My skin is a bit warmer than usual because of all this... attention you're giving me."

She gives him the best doe eyes she can muster, and he grins, much more relaxed now. "Okay. I think it should be a bit better now."

Holding the bell between his thumb and index finger, he slides an arm beneath her head as a pillow, stretching out beside her, kissing her forehead, "Are you ready?"

"Yes..." The reply is nothing more than a rush of breath as he places the round bell of the stethoscope on her chest, directly over her heart, and she cannot help but arch her back, gasping at the contact.

Meanwhile, Dan's eyes are filled with wonder as he listens to the steady thumping of her heart, whispering, "Oh... oh, wow... it's so... it's so loud... and it's so rapid... you're okay, aren't you?"

"I'm fine... more than fine... you can... move it around if you like... over my heart and down my chest... do anything you like, and I'll just keep quiet so you can listen, and just trust me that I'm fine, because this is what you do to me every single day, that you make my heart race."

Dan nods slowly, doing as she says and gently moving down the centre of her chest, listening all the while, holding her steady with his arm around her shoulders.

All the while, she breathes in and out steadily, unable to resist looking down as best she can to watch him pressing the stethoscope to her skin, listening to the heartbeat that was keeping her living and loving him.

When his hand lightly brushes across her breast along with the connecting rubber tube, she cannot help the quiet, needy sound she makes, which Dan immediately catches, and his eyes flash with wanting.

When he moves the stethoscope underneath her breast, the constant pounding of her heartbeat a soothing rhythm, she presses her head back into the pillows,

"Can I touch you? I mean, I know I'm touching you already, but... can I touch you down there? I love seeing your reactions."

"Yes... please, Dan... yes..."

Any other day, she would have been mortified at how desperate she sounded, but in this moment, she could not care less, for being in his arms, him exploring her heartbeat like this was the most incredible feeling she had ever experienced.

He takes the eartubes out of his ears, looping the headpiece around his neck, immediately covering her left breast with his hand and bending down to kiss her, lightly biting down on her lower lip even as her heart pounds beneath his hand.

She responds with eagerness, sliding a hand into his hair and gently massaging his scalp after twisting the soft curls around her fingers.

Slowly, Dan's left hand begins to move down her belly, skimming his fingertips along the top of her underwear before slipping his fingers beneath the lacey fabric to find her secret spot that makes her see stars behind her closed eyelids.

Without even needing to ask him, Dan pulls back from kissing her to carefully take his right arm from behind her head to put the stethoscope back in his ears, placing the slightly cooler rounded metal bell back to her skin as he begins to gently ease a finger inside her while rubbing her with his thumb.

The combination of all these sensations, as well as the sight of him listening to her heart as he touches her, almost makes her lift off the bed, her noises loud and keening, "Oh... oh my God... Danny... oh... oh, yes..."

Dan lets out a low moan himself, "Baby... your heart is so fast and loud... it sounds so beautiful... like this is what I do to you when I am touching you, when I'm giving you pleasure..."

She presses herself closer to his hand between her legs and covers the hand holding the stethoscope to her chest, "Just... just don't stop... don't stop listening... to my heart... please hear me... this is what I want... oh my God, this is what I want... oh, this feels so good..."

Spurred on by her reactions, Dan increases the speed and pressure of his fingers, holding her close against him, bending down to kiss her lightly, murmuring between kisses, "Come for me, beautiful... come for me... you're so beautiful... I have you, come on... you and your gorgeaus, beating heart, I have you... I can hear you and it's fucking amazing... come for me..."

His voice saying those words and the bringing to life of all her fantasies has her climaxing just as he commands. Her orgasm is sudden and strong, pleasure washing over her in hot, pulsing waves, pulse skyrocketing and her cries loud, his name among them.

As she comes down from the endorphin high, legs shaking and breathing stuttering, her heart still thrumming strongly as Dan keeps the stethoscope pressed to her chest, warm tears escape her eyes and trail down her cheeks, overcome with elation and the intense rush of love for him.

"Oh, baby... oh, my girl... just breathe... breathe... I've got you..."

He leans down to kiss her tears away, kissing her lips and the salty taste of her tears intermingles with the taste of him as she sinks down into the mattress, pulling him close to her, utterly spent and craving his touches.

After sharing more lazy, soft kisses, Dan lifts the stethoscope off his neck, coiling it up neatly and setting it on the bedside table with a satisfied nod, "Well... I think we can call that a success."

Her laugh is breathless, eyelashes damp from her tears, but the afterglow is setting in, making her want nothing more than to cuddle with him, "Oh, yes it was."

Dan runs his fingers through her hair, a thoughtful look on his face, "Wow... it actually wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be."

"Yeah? What were you worried about? I mean, if you want to talk about it, because you did it so well."

Dan dips his head, his cheeks beginning to turn rosy pink, "I'm glad you think think so. I mean, I was just worried about it being cold or not doing it the way you wanted. But it was actually so easy, like it wasn't all clinical like being at the doctor's office, you know? Because don't get me wrong, people can play doctor all they want, to each their own, but like, what we just did... I prefer the intimacy of it."

She sighs in relief, extremely thankful that he understood, feeling so completely in love, "You are just perfect, you know that?"

Dan takes her chin in his hands, staring deep into her eyes, "Baby, I can be whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy."

"You do make me happy."

She flicks her eyes down demurely, "What about you? Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I'm fine, really. The sight of you coming so hard was all the satisfaction I needed."

She pouts, leaning up to nuzzle his nose, "You know, I want to make your heart race just as fast as mine, and I want to say thank you for that beautiful thing you just did for me because it means the world to me. What do you say?"

As she speaks, her hand begins trailing down his chest, and even further downwards, giving him an innocent smile despite her intention being not so innocent.

Dan swallows thickly, "Can't say I disagree with your reasoning... but I originally planned for this to be your special night..."

She hums in agreement, her hand sliding beneath his waistband and finding him, warm and hard, gently wrapping her fingers around him and beginning a slow, determined stroking.

"It's my night... but this is something I want to do for you, because you've been so good and so wonderful to me..."

Dan's reaction is to let out a hitched groan, and she gently pushes his shoulder so he can lie back on the pillows, leaning up on one elbow beside him, continuing the motion with her hand, gazing into his eyes and pressing kisses to his face, cooing in encouragement.

"Baby... I'm not going to last... if you keep stroking like that... and... saying such sweet things... shit... it's so fucking good..."

She lets out an almost wicked chuckle, her intention clear, and she leans in to kiss his neck, gently biting down on his carotid, almost wanting to taste his pulse, knowing that it was thundering in his chest just like hers was. She presses her index and middle finger against the side of his neck, feeling that strong, hammering pulse against the pads of her fingertips, a rush of adrenaline coming over her.

"Come on, darling... don't hold back... I want you to come for me... I want you to... let go for me..."

Dan's noises become more urgent, more desperate and guttural, "Oh... oh, God... oh, yeah... baby... oh, shit... I'm gonna come... I'm gonna... oh, my God..."

He dissolves into a worldless moan, his hips furiously thrusting up into her hand, his hands clutching the bedsheets, before eventually easing down, breathing deeply even as she keeps her fingers pressed against his pulse, breathing just as heavily as he was.

"Oh... my God...

She smiles softly down at him, kissing his forehead as she reaches behind her for a box of tissues to clean her hand, chuckling with slight mischief, "Someone sounds spent."

"Yeah... you know it. And you... you had your fingers... on my neck... were you taking my pulse?"

She nods, not at all ashamed, and he smiles lazily, "I'm glad my heart fascinates you that way."

"Same with you. I never thought anyone would ever want to explore this with me."

"Well, baby... I am sold on this. Now come into my arms and let me cuddle the ever living daylights out of you..."

Curling up beside him, she manages to lift the covers so they could get under and cuddle together after switching off the bedside lamp, stretching out with a sleepy sound. 

Dan moves until he is resting his head on her chest, his ear pressed to her heart, nuzzling the soft flesh and kissing her skin, murmuring, "I honestly believe that I won't be able to sleep without hearing your heart beating under my ear. I just need to know that you're here, so warm and beautifully alive."

She runs her fingers through his hair, cradling him close to her chest, overcome with emotion at this admission, "Dan... I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby. Nothing's ever going to change that. Rest now... I'm here with you... and your heart is the most beautiful thing in the world to me, I hope you know that."

With those final loving words, knowing what true love and acceptance felt like, she slips off into a restful slumber, where heartbeats synced and all dreams were possible.


End file.
